Children are at Higher Risk to Electromagnetic Radiation

Jim Martin-Electrical Engineer

EPA - Children 10 Times more Vulnerable, March 2003

Dr. Don Maish, in a paper dated March 26, 2003, stated “On March 3 rd, 2003, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new guidelines for evaluating cancer risks to children, on the grounds that children may be 10 times more vulnerable than adults to cancer risks from exposure to a wide range of chemicals.” He continues, “The EPA views the question of chemical exposure as so significant that it has written a separate guidance paper on risks of cancer to children, concerned that exposure to mutagenic chemicals may be significantly more dangerous to the young. At first this may seem irrelevant to children’s use of cell phones until it is realized that there is also a large body of scientific evidence, some of which is examined in this paper, that indicates children may be far more vulnerable to health effects from

exposure to mobile phone microwave radiation than adults, as well.”

Children Affected More at Higher Frequencies

The Electro-Magnetic Radiation (EMR) guidelines based on the EMR effects on an adult human body.

Children are at higher risk from the higher frequency DTV signals than adults because of the lower wavelength that is closer to the children’s height.

The new DTV signals will be from 483 to 602 MHz.

Peak Absorption for DTV Channels at One Foot

Current Analog Channel

Current Frequency MHZ *

Wavelength in meters

Peak Absorption in meters

New DTV Channel

New DTV Frequency MHZ*

Wavelength in meters

Peak Absorption in meters

Peak Absorption in inches

2 57 5.26 2.63 34 593 0.51 0.25 9.964 69 4.35 2.17 35 599 0.50 0.25 9.866 85 3.53 1.76 18 497 0.60 0.30 11.887 177 1.69 0.85 17 491 0.61 0.31 12.039 189 1.59 0.79 16 485 0.62 0.31 12.18

12 207 1.45 0.72 3 617 0.49 0.24 9.5714 473 0.63 0.32 15 479 0.63 0.31 12.3320 509 0.59 0.29 19 503 0.60 0.30 11.7431 575 0.52 0.26 32 581 0.52 0.26 10.1641 635 0.47 0.24 40 629 0.48 0.24 9.3950 689 0.44 0.22 51 695 0.43 0.22 8.5059 743 0.40 0.20 43 647 0.46 0.23 9.13

“The most efficient energy absorption occurs when the wavelength of the Electro-magnetic wave is close to twice the size of the object.” Neil Cherry

The peak absorption for DTV frequencies is at one foot.

A child’s developing torso or an adult’s head is about one foot

Children More SusceptibleDr. Cherry states, “Hence an incident RF signal at 300 MHz and power density of 20uW/cm2 would produce an SAR (specific absorption rate) for the adult of 0.0009 W/KG and the child .00179 W/KG, two times higher for the child than the adult. This ratio remains the same for all frequencies since it is determined by the L/m ratio.” (Where L is length and m is mass in kg of a person)

Children may be 20 Times more Susceptible! EPA: 10 Times, Dr Cherry: 2 Times = 20

Jeffco County Commissioner's Have the Responsibility to

Protect the Citizens

• To protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Jefferson County, particularly the children, no increases in Electromagnetic Radiation, especially at the higher DTV frequencies, should be allowed on Lookout Mountain.